the memoirs of marie antoinette-第33章

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ourite。　　She　had　not　one　of　the　failings　which　usually　accompany　that　position。　　She　loved　the　persons　who　shared　the　Queen's　affections；　and　was　entirely　free　from　jealousy。　Marie　Antoinette　flattered　herself　that　the　Comtesse　Jules　and　the　Princesse　de　Lamballe　would　be　her　especial　friends；　and　that　she　should　possess　a　society　formed　according　to　her　own　taste。　　〃I　will　receive　them　in　my　closet；　or　at　Trianon；〃　said　she；　〃I　will　enjoy　the　comforts　of　private　life；　which　exist　not　for　us；　unless　we　have　the　good　sense　to　secure　them　for　ourselves。〃　　The　happiness　the　Queen　thought　to　secure　was　destined　to　turn　to　vexation。　　All　those　courtiers　who　were　not　admitted　to　this　intimacy　became　so　many　jealous　and　vindictive　enemies。

It　was　necessary　to　make　a　suitable　provision　for　the　Countess。　　The　place　of　first　equerry；　in　reversion　after　the　Comte　de　Tesse；　given　to　Comte　Jules　unknown　to　the　titular　holder；　displeased　the　family　of　Noailles。　　This　family　had　just　sustained　another　mortification；　the　appointment　of　the　Princesse　de　Lamballe　having　in　some　degree　rendered　necessary　the　resignation　of　the　Comtesse　de　Noailles；　whose　husband　was　thereupon　made　a　marshal　of　France。　　The　Princesse　de　Lamballe；　although　she　did　not　quarrel　with　the　Queen；　was　alarmed　at　the　establishment　of　the　Comtesse　Jules　at　Court；　and　did　not　form；　as　her　Majesty　had　hoped；　a　part　of　that　intimate　society；　which　was　in　turn　composed　of　Mesdames　Jules　and　Diane　de　Polignac；　d'Andlau　and　de　Chalon；　and　Messieurs　de　Guignes；　de　Coigny；　d'Adhemar；　de　Besenval；　lieutenant…colonel　of　the　Swiss；　de　Polignac；　de　Vaudreuil；　and　de　Guiche；　the　Prince　de　Ligne　and　the　Duke　of　Dorset；　the　English　ambassador；　were　also　admitted。

It　was　a　long　time　before　the　Comtesse　Jules　maintained　any　great　state　at　Court。　　The　Queen　contented　herself　with　giving　her　very　fine　apartments　at　the　top　of　the　marble　staircase。　　The　salary　of　first　equerry；　the　trifling　emoluments　derived　from　M。　de　Polignac's　regiment；　added　to　their　slender　patrimony；　and　perhaps　some　small　pension；　at　that　time　formed　the　whole　fortune　of　the　favourite。　　I　never　saw　the　Queen　make　her　a　present　of　value；　I　was　even　astonished　one　day　at　hearing　her　Majesty　mention；　with　pleasure；　that　the　Countess　had　gained　ten　thousand　francs　in　the　lottery。　　〃She　was　in　great　want　of　it；〃　added　the　Queen。

Thus　the　Polignacs　were　not　settled　at　Court　in　any　degree　of　splendour　which　could　justify　complaints　from　others；　and　the　substantial　favours　bestowed　upon　that　family　were　less　envied　than　the　intimacy　between　them　and　their　proteges　and　the　Queen。　　Those　who　had　no　hope　of　entering　the　circle　of　the　Comtesse　Jules　were　made　jealous　by　the　opportunities　of　advancement　it　afforded。

However；　at　the　time　I　speak　of；　the　society　around　the　Comtesse　Jules　was　fully　engaged　in　gratifying　the　young　Queen。　　Of　this　the　Marquis　de　Vaudreuil　was　a　conspicuous　member；　he　was　a　brilliant　man；　the　friend　and　protector　of　men　of　letters　and　celebrated　artists。

The　Baron　de　Besenval　added　to　the　bluntness　of　the　Swiss　all　the　adroitness　of　a　French　courtier。　　His　fifty　years　and　gray　hairs　made　him　enjoy　among　women　the　confidence　inspired　by　mature　age；　although　he　had　not　given　up　the　thought　of　love　affairs。　　He　talked　of　his　native　mountains　with　enthusiasm。　　He　would　at　any　time　sing　the　〃Ranz　des　Vaches〃　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　and　was　the　best　story…teller　in　the　Comtesse　Jules's　circle。　　The　last　new　song　or　'bon　mot'　and　the　gossip　of　the　day　were　the　sole　topics　of　conversation　in　the　Queen's　parties。　Wit　was　banished　from　them。　　The　Comtesse　Diane；　more　inclined　to　literary　pursuits　than　her　sister…in…law；　one　day；　recommended　her　to　read　the　〃Iliad〃　and　〃Odyssey。〃　　The　latter　replied；　laughing；　that　she　was　perfectly　acquainted　with　the　Greek　poet；　and　said　to　prove　it：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Homere　etait　aveugle　et　jouait　du　hautbois。〃

　　　　　　　　　　（Homer　was　blind　and　played　on　the　hautboy。）

　　　　　＇This　lively　repartee　of　the　Duchesse　de　Polignac　is　a　droll　　　　　　imitation　of　a　line　in　the　〃Mercure　Galant。〃　　In　the　quarrel　scene　　　　　　one　of　the　lawyers　says　to　his　brother　quill：　'Ton　pere　etait　　　　　　aveugle　et　jouait　du　hautbois。〃＇

The　Queen　found　this　sort　of　humour　very　much　to　her　taste；　and　said　that　no　pedant　should　ever　be　her　friend。

Before　the　Queen　fixed　her　assemblies　at　Madame　de　Polignac's；　she　occasionally　passed　the　evening　at　the　house　of　the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Duras；　where　a　brilliant　party　of　young　persons　met　together。　　They　introduced　a　taste　for　trifling　games；　such　as　question　and　answer；　'guerre　panpan'；　blind　man's　buff；　and　especially　a　game　called　'descampativos'。　　The　people　of　Paris；　always　criticising；　but　always　imitating　the　customs　of　the　Court；　were　infected　with　the　mania　for　these　childish　sports。　　Madame　de　Genlis；　sketching　the　follies　of　the　day　in　one　of　her　plays；　speaks　of　these　famous　'descampativos'；　and　also　of　the　rage　for　making　a　friend；　called　the　'inseparable'；　until　a　whim　or　the　slightest　difference　might　occasion　a　total　rupture。




CHAPTER　VIII。

The　Duc　de　Choiseul　had　reappeared　at　Court　on　the　ceremony　of　the　King's　coronation　for　the　first　time　after　his　disgrace　under　Louis　XV。　in　1770。　The　state　of　public　feeling　on　the　subject　gave　his　friends　hope　of　seeing　him　again　in　administration；　or　in　the　Council　of　State；　but　the　opposite　party　was　too　firmly　seated　at　Versailles；　and　the　young　Queen's　influence　was　outweighed；　in　the　mind　of　the　King；　by　long…standing　prejudices；　she　therefore　gave　up　for　ever　her　attempt　to　reinstate　the　Duke。　　Thus　this　Princess；　who　has　been　described　as　so　ambitious；　and　so　strenuously　supporting　the　interest　of　the　House　of　Austria；　failed　twice　in　the　only　scheme　which　could　forward　the　views　constantly　attributed　to　her；　and　spent　the　whole　of　her　reign　surrounded　by　enemies　of　herself　and　her　house。

Marie　Antoinette　took　little　pains　to　promote　literature　and　the　fine　arts。　　She　had　been　annoyed　in　consequence　of　having　ordered　a　performance　of　the　〃Connstable　de　Bourbon；〃　on　the　celebration　of　the　marriage　of　Madame　Clotilde　with　the　Prince　of　Piedmont。　　The　Court　and　the　people　of　Paris　censured　as　indecorous　the　naming　characters　in　the　piece　after　the　reigning　family；　and　that　with　which　the　new　alliance　was　formed。　　The　reading　of　this　piece　by　the　Comte　de　Guibert　in　the　Queen's　closet　had　produced　in　her　Majesty's　circle　that　sort　of　enthusiasm　which　obscures　the　judgment。　　She　promised　herself　she　would　have　no　more　readings。　　Yet；　at　the　request　of　M。　de　Cubieres；　the　King's　equerry；　the　Queen　agreed　to　hear　the　reading　of　a　comedy　written　by　his　brother。　She　collected　her　intimate　circle；　Messieurs　de　Coigny；　de　Vaudreuil；　de　Besenval；　Mesdames　de　Polignac；　de　Chalon；　etc。；　and　to　increase　the　number　of　judges；　she　admitted　the　two　Parnys；　the　Chevalier　de　Bertin；　my　father…in…law；　and　myself。

Mold　read　for　the　author。　　I　never　could　satisfy　myself　by　what　magic　the　skilful　reader　gained　our　unanimous　approbation　of　a　ridiculous　work。　Surely　the　delightful　voice　of　Mold；　by　awakening　our　recollection　of　the　dramatic　beauties　of　the　French　stage；　prevented　the　wretched　lines　of　Dorat　Cubieres　from　striking　on　our　ears。　　I　can　assert　that　the　exclamation　Charming！　charming！　repeatedly　interrupted　the　reader。　　The　piece　was　admitted　for　performance　at　Fontainebleau；　and　for　the　first　time　the　King　had　the　curtain　dropped　before　the　end　of　the　play。　　It　was　called　the　〃Dramomane〃　or　〃Dramaturge。〃　　All　the　characters　died　of　eating　poison　in　a　pie。　　The　Queen；　highly　disconcerted　at　having　recommended　this　absurd　production；　announced　that　she　would　never　hear　another　reading；　and　this　time　she　kept　her　word。

The　tragedy　of　〃Mustapha　and　Mangir；〃　by　M。　de　Chamfort；　was　highly　successful　at　the　Court　theatre　at　Fontainebleau。　　The　Queen　procured　the　author　a　pension　of　1；200　francs；　but　his　play　failed　on　being　performed　at　Paris。

The　spirit　of　opposition　which　prevailed　in　that　city　delighted　in　reversing　the　verdicts　of　the　Court。　　The　Queen　determined　never　again　to　give　any　marked　countenance　to　new　dramatic　works。　　She　reserved　her　patronage　for　musical　composers；　and